Venue: Hilton on the Park, 192 Wellington Parade, Melbourne, VIC 3002Register: Click here or contact AusInnovation below Tickets are limited, so book early for your place to be reserved

Launch: New Era for Australian Sport

Since the 1956 Olympics, Melbourne has maintained its position as one of the worldâs great sporting cities. The primary location is Melbourne Olympic Park which includes the National Tennis Centre, Rod Laver Arena, Hisense Arena, AAMI Park, Westpac Centre, and across the railway tracks, Melbourne Cricket Ground.Melbourne Olympic Park is now an unbeatable international sports precinct with the redeveloped Margaret Court Arena for the Australian Open.

Invited Speakers:

Hon. Louise Asher MLA: Minister for Innovation, Services, Tourism, Major Events and Small Business

Click here or contact AusInnovation below to learn more about this event.

]]>National NewsTue, 10 Dec 2013 00:41:00 +0000Gartner predicts the beginning of a new era: The digital industrial economyhttp://www.ausinnovation.org/news/current-news/single-view/gartner-predicts-the-beginning-of-a-new-era-the-digital-industrial-economy/f71b5c8ce50f5353a5d0fc2d199724bd.html
IT spending in Australia and the Asia Pacific region is set to hit $767 billion next...IT spending in Australia and the Asia Pacific region is set to hit $767 billion next year

Â·Brian Karlovsky (ARN) 30 October, 2013 11:43

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IT spending in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region is set to hit $767 billion next year, ushering the era the 'digital industrial economy'.

Gartner senior vice-president and global head of research, Peter Sondergaard told an audience, at the Brisbane Gartner Symposium, that the digital world was here and that it was the beginning of a new era. "This results in every budget being an IT budget; every company being a technology company; every business is becoming a digital leader; and every person is becoming a technology company," he said.

"This is resulting in the beginning of an era: the Digital Industrial Economy. He said the Digital Industrial Economy would be built on the foundations of the nexus of forces (which includes a confluence and integration of Cloud, social collaboration, mobile and information) and the Internet of Everything by combining the physical world and the virtual.

âDigitalisation exposes every part of your business and its operations to these forces," he said.

"It is how you reach customers and constituents; how you run your physical plant; and how you generate revenue or deliver services.

"Enterprises doing this today are setting themselves apart and will collectively lead the new Digital Industrial Economy."

In Australia, IT spending is forecast to reach almost $77.2 billion in 2014, up 2.3 per cent from $75.5 billion in 2013.

The largest category of spending is IT services, forecast to reach $29.7 billion in 2014, followed by telecommunications services at $26.9 billion. Spending on mobile devices is forecast to fall from more than $4 billion this year to $3.7 billion in 2014. Software still represents the fastest growing category of IT spending in Australia, forecast to grow 7.8 per cent from almost $7.1 billion in 2013 to more than $7.6 billion in 2014.

Spending on information technology products and services in the Asia-Pacific region is forecast to grow 5.5 per cent next year to reach US$767 billion, up from $727 billion this year, and reach $933 billion in 2017.

In China, spending is forecast to grow 6.7 per cent in this year and accelerate to 8.7 per cent growth in 2014.

According to Gartner, Chinaâs very powerful growing middle class is having a huge impact on the rest of the economy and IT, moving consumer and enterprise markets.

Automation of health, banking, government, communications and manufacturing are major IT drivers. These vertical industries will offer the greatest opportunities for technology vendors in the next 5 years.

In 2009, there were 2.5 billion connected devices with unique IP addresses to the Internet.

Most of these were devices people carry such as cell phones and PCs. In 2020, there will be up to 30 billion devices connected with unique IP addresses, most of which will be products. Gartner predicts that the total economic value add for the Internet of Things will be $US1.9 trillion dollars in 2020.

Sondergaard said computing power would be cheap and covert in the new economy.

"We wonât know it is there; it will be in our jewelry and in our clothing,â he said

âWe will throw more computers into our laundry in a week than weâve used in our lifetimes so far.â By 2017, new device categories: mobile phones, tablets, and ultra-mobile PCs will represent more than 80 per cent of device spending.

Gartner also forecasts that by 2017, nearly half of first-time computer purchases will be a tablet. Therefore, Sondergaard said mobile is the destination platform for all applications. The new economy could also challenge traditional channel strategies.

Sondergaard said that what many traditional IT vendors sold a client in the past was often not what they needed for the digital future.

"Their channel strategy, sales force, partner ecosystem is challenged by different competitors, new buying centers, and changed customer business model,â he said. said.

âDigitalisation creates an accelerated technology-driven start up environment across the globe.

"Many of the vendors, who are on top today, such as Cisco, Oracle, and Microsoft, may not be leaders in the Digital Industrial Economy.â

RESELLERNEWSCLOUD ROUNDTABLE: 10-page report discusses the opportunity and challenges in the New Zealand market for Cloud service provision to enterprises and SMBs. Download now

]]>National NewsMon, 02 Dec 2013 00:22:00 +0000New Media and Online Marketshttp://www.ausinnovation.org/news/current-news/single-view/new-media-and-online-markets/40c2ac6fd07e3429b8bac90cafce99f2.html
These Series present corporate leaders who discuss key issues that relate to major social, economic...These Series present corporate leaders who discuss key issues that relate to major social, economic and global trends affecting their industry sectors. These exclusive CEO events are held each second month at Hilton South Wharf.

New Media and Online Markets

Media in Australia can be summarised as one of turmoil, layoffs and cutbacks as participating groups seek to reinvent their business models and content. News organizations now approach monetization and content experimentation by focusing on the web in a new way. The high cost of main media advertising and fragmentation of consumer viewing habits now result in clients having a greater proportion of below-the-line communication in marketing campaigns.

Tickets are limited for this International Sports launch event on 8 January 2014, so book early for your place to be reserved

]]>National NewsSun, 24 Nov 2013 00:28:00 +0000ICT Innovation in Financial Services http://www.ausinnovation.org/news/current-news/single-view/ict-innovation-in-financial-services/14549533a6c1d28780af75011270c3e5.html
This exclusive series is organised by AIIA and AusInnovation to showcase the role of the ICT...This exclusive series is organised by AIIA and AusInnovation to showcase the role of the ICT industry in Australia as the key driver of growth, prosperity and environmental change.

Date: Wednesday, 23 April 2014 (tbc)

Time: From 5.30pm to 7.30pm

Venue: AMP Limited, 33 Alfred Street, Sydney, NSW

Register:Click hereor contact AusInnovation below

Tickets are limited , so book early for your place to be reserved

ICT Innovation in Financial Services

Innovate or perish. That is the only way forward for enterprises. Innovation has become an essential ingredient for modern business and this is particularly true for the banking, financial services and insurance industry sectors. Banking has led the way in the past through online banking, ATMs, international currency transfers and more recently mobile banking facilities.

Invited Speakers:

Jackie Korhonen: Senior Vice President and Head of Financial Services, Australia / New Zealand, Infosys

Click hereor contact AusInnovation below to learn more about this event.

]]>National NewsSat, 09 Nov 2013 05:08:00 +0000Partnerships towards Commercialising Clean Technologyhttp://www.ausinnovation.org/news/current-news/single-view/partnerships-towards-commercialising-clean-technology/9f49721227112dae7cab883d231faae6.html
Sustaining our Future through Innovation and Clean Technology is the focus of this Adelaide...Sustaining our Future through Innovation and Clean Technology is the focus of this Adelaide Series event. Manufacturing in South Australia is an important contributor to the wealth and economic stability of the Australian Economy, with the potential to play an even more strategic role for the nation in coming decades. This exciting event will highlight AMTIL, AIIA and SA Manufacturing success stories in association with Australian Innovation.Date: Thursday, 21 November 2013Time: From 5.30pm to 8.00pmVenue: KPMG,151 Pirie Street, Adelaide, SA Register: Click hereor contact AusInnovation below for further event information

Tickets are limited for this exclusive Sustainable event, so book early for your place to be reserved.Click hereor contact AusInnovation below for further event information]]>National NewsSat, 09 Nov 2013 04:38:00 +00002013 Online Retail Industry Award Winners Announcedhttp://www.ausinnovation.org/news/current-news/single-view/2013-online-retail-industry-award-winners-announced/91eaa2653820b2672048e2cc04dacefe.html
The Online Retail Industry Awards were bigger, better and more glamourous than ever before. Yet the...The Online Retail Industry Awards were bigger, better and more glamourous than ever before. Yet the real stars â as always â are the winners.The night of nights in the Australian online retail industry has arrived.

Following the conclusion of the main Online Retailer Conference and eCommerce Expo, the event was capped off with the prestigious Online Retail Industry Awards night â this year held at The Star in Sydney.

Whilst everyone brought their best suits, frocks and smiles, at the end of the day there can be only one winner in each category. In 2013 weâve witnessed a number of best practice stalwarts maintaining their territory in the field, but there were also a number of surprises.

Mark Jones, Founder of Filtered Media and MC for the proceedings expressed his excitement and awe in light of the atmosphere.

âIâm absolutely blown away,â he says. âIf you think about it, by some estimates the total retail component thatâs attributed to online retail is still just six percent, but when you look around the conference and here in the events hall tonight, it appears to be just booming.â

Best Pure-Play Online RetailerAppliances Online

âThere is no doubt that the online space is becoming more competitive, so being recognised as Best Pure-Play Online Retailer for a second time is a testament to our commitment to constantly push boundaries to improve the customer experience.â â John Winning, CEO and Founder

Best Multichannel Retailer AwardHarvey Norman

âWeâve flown under the radar a little, but weâre clearly at the point where the industry recognises that Harvey Norman is really about multichannel and this is testament to the hard work our team, our CEO and our COO, has put in over the past few years. We have an awful lot of respect for both the other finalist in the category, but also as a business weâve always been a student of other retailers â weâve learned a lot from our peers. Now we have a justified position as someone who is really competing in the space. If anything itâs a starting point.â â Gary Wheelhouse, General Manager of Digital.

Most Innovative Online RetailerShoes of Prey

âItâs really extraordinary to be honest, I didnât expect it. It was a really strong category of nominees and itâs great to see online retail flourishing in Australia. I think this is a real motivation piece to keep us being creative in providing a great offering for our customers.â â Jodie Fox, Co-founder.

Best Online Retail Marketing IntiativeDan Murphyâs

Best Customer Experiencebirdsnest

âWeâve been runner up for this award two years running even winning the âbest on dancefloor awardâ last year, so to be recognised as winner in this category is just such a thrill for our team. Customer experience is what weâre all about â we love our bird. The birdsnest girls are all about heart and while there might be plenty more work to do, this award has made it all worthwhile.â â Jane Cay, Founder.

Best Aggregation ChannelLasoo

âLasoo is really honoured to be recognised by the industry for aggregation. We have had a lot of fun exploring and innovating our way to this place where we are pushing the boundaries of what a cross platform shopping experience can be. We couldnât do it without the support of Australiaâs best retailers and our fantastic shopping community. The ORIA is a fantastic accolade to inspire us to go bigger and bolder in the future.â â Damien Donnelly, Product Manager

Best Site Optimisation & DesignBing Lee Electrics

âThis is the culmination of so much hard work and dedication from the team at Bing Lee and our solution partners, Rysen, Creative Design and Fontis IT Consulting. They have all put a lot of hard graft into this project.â â Nigel Price, Head of E-Commerce.

Best Mobile Commerce ApplicationEat Now

âThis project took me only 10 weeks to put together â but the team never stopped improving and working on the mobile app, which is why I think we got here. To be honest, I didnât think weâd make it, but as it turns out we had to two five-star reviews on the app store from two visually impaired customers. That feedback is almost worth more than the award. This has all been very gratifying.â â Jay Jun, Head of Mobile, Catch Group.

Best Social Commerce InitiativeThe Iconic & Shoes of Prey

âWe won this with award off the back of our combined effort with Shoes of Prey on the Best Shoe Ever initiative, so itâs really been a team effort â I have to thank everyone involved in both organisations for this award.â â Finn Haensel, Co-founder, The Iconic.

Best New Online RetailerMasters Home Improvement

âWe are so delighted to receive this award , it is great achievement to the team that invested hours, days and nights in making it happen! In just 12 months, Masters has revolutionised the way Aussies plan, buy and complete their home improvement projects. Masters was the first in the home improvement category, and no competitor comes close to the scale of products available to purchase online or the functionality of masters.com.au, the mobile site, and the Masters iPhone and iPad apps.â â Tzipi Avioz, Head of Online.

Industry Recognition Award Phil Leahy

âI think itâs a great honour to have received the award, especially given the calibre of other nominees and past winners. The support Iâve had from the co-partners of PeSA, eBay Inc and Australia Post and others has been a great foundation for helping to achieve the award. I think this will provide great momentum to continue building our event and providing great content for our attendees.â

Online Retailer of the Year Dan Murphyâs

âIâm absolutely elated. Itâs all thanks to the most wonderful and dedicated team that one could every have. They have the most amazing passion for digital and online customer experience.â â Faye Ilhan, Head of Online

Source: Power Retail]]>Innovation NewsMon, 02 Sep 2013 11:28:00 +0000Australian Retail continues to fall behind online in 2013http://www.ausinnovation.org/news/current-news/single-view/australian-retail-continues-to-fall-behind-online-in-2013/19e50e2087d572aec41e93be5efef992.html
A joint study by NetSuite and the Australian Retail Association reveals Australian retailers are...A joint study by NetSuite and the Australian Retail Association reveals Australian retailers are unprepared to take advantage of the online retail sector, with only 30 percent of retail businesses transacting online.

NetSuite, an industry provider of cloud-based financials and omni channel commerce suites, and the Australian Retailers Association (ARA), have joined forces to produce a report that reveals online is the channel that will determine the future success of Australian retailers.

Online retail spend is expected to reach more than $18 billion in 2013 and are forecasted to grow 39 percent to $25 billion by 2015 â including purchases by Australian consumers on local and overseas websites. The study of 219 Australian retail managers by Frost & Sullivan, entitled âMaking the Web the Centrepiece of a Retail Organisationâ, was carried out in July 2013 to gain a better understanding of the industry ahead of the peak trading period as well as to find out what strategies retailers have in place to take full advantage of the online space.

While the future might look promising, the study shows that almost 50 percent of Australian retailers believe that in-store trading conditions in 2013 are worse than in the first half of 2012, while only 35 percent view conditions as better. With overall retail sales in Australia expected to continue to grow by only two percent in 2013, smaller chains in particular are finding retail conditions particularly tough.

Mark Troselj, Managing Director of APAC and Japan for NetSuite, said the thought process behind the creation of the survey and subsequent support was to emphasise the opportunity to Australian retailers, as well as the inherent risks involved with continuing to bury their heads in the sand.

âI donât believe the Australian retail community is yet to wake up to the scale of the online opportunity, as well as the implied risks of ignoring it,â Troselj said in a recent interview with Power Retail. âWhat weâre trying to show is that it isnât just some e-commerce software company talking up the benefits of online; here is an independent, century-old industry body thatâs advocating the same thing.â

While more than 50 percent of Australiaâs 77,000 retail businesses have a website, the report shows only one-third currently transacts online. In addition, an estimated 33-50 percent of all online expenditures by Australian shoppers are going to overseas sites.

âA number of factors have impacted retail sales growth in Australia, including a greater propensity for consumers to save rather than spend, a challenging job market and rising household costs,â said Mark Dougan, Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand for Frost & Sullivan. âThe market has also been impacted by price deflation, partially caused by the growth in online shopping and by a growing number of overseas retailers targeting the Australian market, offering a greater variety and choice of goods at lower costs. This is coupled with the lack of consumer foot traffic into brick and mortar stores, as well as the high operating costs retailers must absorb.â

These results show that, yes, there are a large number of sales going to offshore retailers, but on the other hand there is still a large volume of local retailers that are yet to even give consumers an opportunity to purchase with them in an online channel.

âSo much of what we buy has become commodity-driven,â Troselj said. âIf a customer can go to a website where itâs simple and easy to purchase a product they want and it gets delivered in 48 or so hours, as opposed to walking into a store and paying sometimes double the amount on the same item, theyâll do it every day of the week.

âWeâre here to tell retailers that creating this kind of an offering for your customers doesnât have to be difficult or expensive, so donât sit there and wonder why your business is going under â come and talk with a SaaS-based provider instead.â

Andy Lloyd, General Manager of Commerce Products at NetSuite, believes that part of the issue â and the major concern for retailers â is the pace at which the industry is moving.

âIn a rapidly evolving industry, if youâre not staying on top of the latest technology then youâre going to fall behind,â Lloyd says. âIf you go out and buy a license-based solution, youâll install it and it may take you up to two years to truly get it running. By the time youâre done youâre already behind. Ideally, online retailers need to be on a cloud-based solution that is evolving at least as quickly as the industry is.â

Source: Power Retail
Photo: Inside Retail]]>Innovation NewsMon, 02 Sep 2013 11:23:00 +0000New Supply Chain challenges for Pharmaceutical Industryhttp://www.ausinnovation.org/news/current-news/single-view/new-supply-chain-challenges-for-pharmaceutical-industry/2756e077e6c041af58f01f90f3210574.html
The global Pharmaceutical Sector is embarking on a step change transformation journey in which the...The global Pharmaceutical Sector is embarking on a step change transformation journey in which the supply chain will play a strategic change management role.

Healthcare reform, patent expiries and increased service requirements will require pharma-ceutical companies to adapt their business models to accommodate market changes. The coming years, reduced costs, greater agility and improved speed to market â whilst ensuring the often complex regulatory legal framework in countries are being met â will form a chal-lenging operating landscape for companies in the industry.

This white paper outlines a strategic agenda which Buck Consultants believes companies within the industry need to address. Key to the strategic agenda is the changing commercial business model pharmaceutical companies are starting to address. Relevant to the context of this white paper is the role the supply chain will play as companies move forward to ad-dress their key business challenges. This whitepaper will address the below points and the step changes companies should consider as part of their strategic agenda.

Pharmaceutical companies will have to turn more towards direct sales channels to reduce margins in their current business. Within other industries this is a trend observed already for a much longer period of time. There will also be more focus on âsellingâ directly to pharma-cies, hospitals, care institutions and patients.

The concept of online order and e-fulfillment tools will allow pharmaceutical companies to take greater advantage of direct marketing and sales tools to manage the order manage-ment and commercial process with the various sales channels. As a result, there will be a clear tendencies towards more direct distribution routes and this will enable greater differen-tiation per product/market segment.

The supply chain will need to play a more strategic role in the business model of many pharmaceutical companies. In turn, this will require a more centrally driven supply chain organisation based on a clear mandate and with centralised budget responsibilities able to make the required step changes in the supply chain and distribution model.

We believe that within the healthcare field itself pharmaceutical companies can also learn a lot from how Bio-pharma companies have organized themselves in terms of more central-ized control, more visibility and more streamlined supply chains.

As there is no âsingle size fits allâ supply chain, pharmaceutical companies should also con-sider developing more differentiated supply chains. For instance by type of product (generic, patented, bio-pharma, narcotics, etc.) and/or by channel (wholesale, direct to pharmacy, direct to patient, etc). The value drivers for each of the product â market â channel combi-nations will have significantly different levers. A much more focused alignment with the business is key for success.

For many companies the key objective will be to first develop a more cost efficient supply chain with the corresponding organisation and infrastructure focusing on network and distri-bution optimisation. For some pharmaceutical companies, parts of their business model will require a more agile and responsive distribution model. Here the key drivers will focus on distribution solutions with CMOâs and postponement models to allow for greater flexibility and scalability beyond costs alone.

Moving forward, it is essential that the supply chain is a critical part of the financially driven business model of pharmaceutical companies. A cost effective supply chain should be inte-grally linked to the order to cash cycle and will play a more important role in the pharmaceu-tical business model of the future.

> Download a free copy of the report

Source: Supply Chain Movement]]>Innovation NewsMon, 02 Sep 2013 11:15:00 +0000The Future of Retail - Is it up in the air?http://www.ausinnovation.org/news/current-news/single-view/the-future-of-retail-is-it-up-in-the-air/c56629e09c1d0084bb7784fd3dbc5936.html
The Future of Retail â Is it up in the Air? Success for retailers lies in...

The Future of Retail â Is it up in the Air?

Success for retailers lies in understanding the individual customer, offering them personalised products and interactions â otherwise known as 'me-tailing'. Todayâs consumer is always connected - allowing them to research products and purchase them anywhere is a challenge many retailers now face. Connected retail technology now links consumers, devices and data for smarter shopping experiences, from the high street to online, in-store to mobile applications.

Speakers of this Digital Economy Series event come from all aspects of Australian and international retail.Tickets are limited for this exclusive event, so book early to ensure your place is reserved.

Michel Abeysekera: Chairman of TFIA and Managing Director of the LM Group

Sarah Gale: Head of Buying, The Iconic and Former Project Runway Australia Judge

Peter Wilkinson: Chairman, FORVER NEW and former CEO of Myer and David Jones

Stephen Shaw: Associate Partner, Retail, IBM Global Business Services

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Retailers are facing the biggest challenges in decades, with consumers migrating online and various global markets booming in comparison to those local. With these seismic changes affecting the Australian retail landscape, where does the future of Australian fashion lie? For brands, is the online world compatible with real world retail experience, or must fashion move completely online so as to survive the digital evolution?

To create a world-class technology precinct through inspirational leadership, innovation, sustainability and community engagement that embraces our cultural heritage.

Established on almost 14 hectares of campus inspired grounds, and featuring a unique integration of heritage architecture, premium commercial space and state-of-the-art conferencing facilities, the Australian Technology Park is proud host to leading Australian and global IT, communication and science companies.

Click here to read the ATP brochure

Since its inception, the Park has evolved into one of the nationâs pre-eminent technology and business precincts. The Park offers a unique and inspiring environment for collaboration, information exchange and knowledge-sharing, while ongoing site development and an ever-expanding tenant portfolio secure the Parkâs position at the forefront of Australian technology growth and commercialisation.

Conceived by a consortium of Sydney universities in 1995 and wholly-owned by the New South Wales Governmentâs Urban Growth NSW Development Corporation (UGDC), the Park is located just a few kilometres away from Sydneyâs CBD and international airport on a site once occupied by the Eveleigh Railway Yards.